


Yet Another Collection of Rayllum Ficlets

by jacksparrow589



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet Collection, Mostly Adorkable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-11-15 07:05:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18068852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksparrow589/pseuds/jacksparrow589
Summary: A collection of Rayllum ficlets. Self-contained, unless where marked. Rated Teen and up mostly for safety, but will likely eventually have some manner of teen material at some point.





	1. Have Feelings; Can't Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set... after they've made it away from Sol Regum. Somehow. Alive, unscathed, and bunking down for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General Audiences.

“ _Callum, I can't lose you like this; you mean too much to me! Callum, I... I..._ ”

Rayla tossed over onto her other side for what seemed like the billionth time that night.

What had she been about to say?

“I love you” couldn't be it—she hadn't even known him for two weeks! Half of that had been spent mistrusting each other, and most of the rest of it, they'd either been annoyed with each other, or she'd been seasick. They'd really only had a few moments of anything resembling tenderness, and those were as easily explained by their blossoming friendship as they were by anything deeper.

_But it wouldn't be bothering me if friendship was all it was._

Letting out a frustrated groan, Rayla flopped onto her back to look up at the stars.

“'Vrything okay?” Callum murmured groggily.

Rayla sighed. “Yeah, go back to sleep.”

A soft snore signaled that Callum had already done as she'd bid, and Rayla smiled a bit despite herself. She'd thought of herself as much more mature than him when they'd met, and in some ways, he still seemed so much younger. Consistent confidence would come with time, Rayla hoped. The poor boy was going to need it as they traveled through Xadia.

She wanted to be there to see it, though. There was something about him...  between them, and  she intended to find out exactly what.


	2. Bad Times on the High Seas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set on the second day they're on the Ruthless, before Callum reads the letter from Harrow. Rayla is, once again, having “all the bad feelings”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General Audiences

“How are you feeling?”

Callum winced at Rayla's glare, marred as it was by her leaning heavily on the railing and looking more than a little green. “Ah, sorry, stupid question.” He brightened for a moment, but his smile faltered pretty quickly. “I don't suppose asking you questions is going to be enough to distract—nope.”

Rayla was retching over the side of the boat again. It seemed like it was all she could do to keep on her feet. Once she was done, she dropped to her knees and turned around to prop her back against the railing.

Callum sat next to her. “We should have just walked around.”

Rayla shook her head. “That would have been stupid. I can handle a few hours of discomfort and abject terror. Nothing we haven't faced before.” She let out a weak laugh that turned into a cough, and struggled to her knees to turn around again. Callum looped one of her arms around his shoulders to prop her up.

“You... _really_ don't have to...” Rayla whispered.

“No, I don't, but it's the least I can do.” Callum couldn't help feeling concerned. Rayla was shaking like a leaf.

After a few tense moments, Rayla sagged against Callum, and both of them sank to the deck again. Rayla leaned back with her head against the railing and closed her eyes. “What are _you_ thinking about?”

Callum sighed. “What I do next. I can learn magic; I _know_ I can. But I feel so... stuck. So much has happened, and I haven't had the time to think about it all. I haven't _wanted_ to think about it all.”

Taking a steadying breath, Rayla replied, “It's about your dad, isn't it?”

It wasn't just Harrow who had been plaguing his thoughts, but Callum didn't really have the heart to correct her. He nodded.

Rayla took another few breaths before speaking again. “We're not likely to have another chance to... rest like this for a while.” She paused to take in another few deep breaths. “Go. I'll be... fine.”

Callum gave her a long look, but stood carefully. He gave Rayla's shoulder a quick squeeze and headed below deck, knowing that what awaited him wouldn't be pleasant, but the way forward so often wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum seems loath to subject Rayla to seasickness—I love his compassion. But it was probably for the best that all of this happened.
> 
> Also, in case it isn't clear, Claudia is the other person in Callum's thoughts. He definitely took that betrayal pretty hard, I think.


	3. Invisibility in the Light of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum experiments with moon magic. Invisibility of two kinds results. Set during a full moon before Zym is returned to his rightful place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as Suitable for General Audiences.

“Okay.” Callum took a deep breath and looked up. The full moon was shining bright. He looked across the clearing at Rayla and Zym.

“D'you need me to demonstrate?”

Callum rolled his eyes. “I'd have learned this a lot faster if you could.”

“I won't apologize for being born with natural talent.” Rayla tossed her head. “Go on, then.”

Callum closed his eyes to concentrate, traced the rune in the air, and whispered “ _o_ _ffusco_ ”. He thought he felt something, but when he opened his eyes, he could still see his hands. “I'm not invisible, am I?”

Rayla tilted her head. “No, you're pretty well invisible. It's kind of like looking into very clear water when someone's thrown a stone in it.”

“Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't throw stones at me.” Callum took a few steps toward Rayla, trying to hold onto the sensation he'd gotten from casting the spell. “How about now?”

“I can see you a little better, and when you move, it looks like something moving out of the corner of my eye. It's... disconcerting.” Rayla blinked. “Overall, it mostly feels like my eyes don't want to stay on you. I think... I think the spell directs to those around you, rather than to yourself.”

“Huh.” Callum crossed the remaining distance between himself and Rayla. “And now?”

Rayla winced and turned away. “I can see you if I concentrate, but it _hurts_.”

Callum thought for a second, then said, “I'm gonna try something.”

“The last time you said that, you threw a ball of lightning at me,” Rayla reminded him cautiously.

“I know more about what I'm doing now,” promised Callum. The “ _I hope_ ” went unspoken.

Rayla bit back another retort, caught off guard by the feeling of magic being worked on her. She shivered just a bit as the spell enveloped her, then blinked and looked. “Did you release the spell?”

“Nope.” Callum smiled. “But you can see me?”

“Mmhm.”

“I don't think Zym can.” They both looked down. The little dragon was tilting his head this way and that in confusion, and rubbing at his eyes.

“...Interesting.” Rayla looked up at the moon and was suddenly mostly invisible to Callum. “Drop the spell.”

It took a few moments, but Callum managed to figure it out.

“How much of me can you see?”

Callum was caught off-guard by the question. “Uhhh... I can see your eyes... kinda...”

Rayla quickly came back into focus. “Okay, now, cast the spell on me.”

“You just said you didn't want me to work magic on you!” Callum protested. He'd done it once, but he was still getting the hang of it. He'd never tried casting a spell on someone before, and if something went horribly wrong, he didn't want it to be on Rayla.

“I said no such thing! I just didn't want to wind up all shocky with my hair on end again!” Rayla crossed her arms, but with an encouraging look. “You seem to have figured it out, so come on.”

_Well, at least one of us is confident in my talents._ Callum sketched the rune again, this time such that it appeared backward to him and forward to Rayla, and said the spell. He looked up, and Rayla was gone, but when he tried to focus his eyes on where he'd seen her last, he found his eyes not wanting to look at the spot, as Rayla had described. He let out a victory whoop. “I did it!”

“You did the important half. Let's see you release the spell now,” Rayla's disembodied voice requested.

Callum concentrated, and the moonlit air shimmered around  where he'd seen her. .. but didn't reveal her. “Rayla?” Callum realized he could look at the spot. He'd released the spell; why couldn't he see her? “ _Rayla_ !” He spun around, desperately searching.

“Looking for me?” Rayla's eyes appeared quite suddenly before him, the rest of her becoming visible seconds later.

“Don't _do_ that!” Callum half-yelled. “You had me worried!”

Rayla's mischievous smile dropped into a confused frown. “Worried?”

“I thought... I thought I'd screwed it up. I thought I'd... I don't know, but it wasn't good!”

Rayla put her hands on his shoulders to stop him from turning away. Memories of crying Callum's name in a futile attempt to wake him ran through her head. “I'm sorry, Callum. You were doing so well, and I thought you'd just figure I'd used my magic.” She sighed. “I'm sorry I made it sound like I didn't trust you earlier. I'm sure that didn't help.”

Callum refused to meet her eyes. “It wouldn't have hurt if there wasn't a part of me that thought it might be true. That I'd mess it up and hurt you or something, I mean.”

“You're learning really fast. I know you don't really have anyone to compare to, but I've seen mages study. They can be stuck for weeks on even simple runes and concepts when they start out. Nobody expects you to master this overnight, but I know you'll get there.” Rayla smiled as Callum finally turned to look at her. “I _know_ you'll get there,” she repeated.

Callum lifted a hand to cover Rayla's where it still rested on his shoulder. “Thanks, Rayla.”

They weren't sure how long they stood like that, nor were they sure when they'd begun leaning in, but Zym butting between their legs snapped them out of their reverie. Both jumped back as though they'd been burned. Rayla felt her cheeks go warm and definitely considered accessing her powers once more so that Callum couldn't see her blushing, but a quick look told her his cheeks were as red as hers. She smiled a bit despite herself, glad he hadn't caught her glance, but also relieved that it might be she wasn't alone in feeling the way she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought you'd get a kiss out of that? No such luck this time around, I'm afraid.
> 
> I don't know how to conjugate things in Latin, so I just kind of guessed at a spell name where “obfuscate” was the idea. Who knows if it's at all accurate? Not me, that's who!


	4. Rollycubes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Rayla asking Callum if he was “losing to Bait at a game of rollycubes”, they actually decide to play rollycubes while on their journey in Xadia, because magic is everywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as Suitable for General Audiences, but maybe closer to PG than G.

“Come on, earth magic is everywhere!” Rayla protested. “That doesn't count!”

Callum grabbed the cube. “I believe the agreed-upon rules of the game were that we would predict which face of the cube would glow after being rolled; nothing was said about excluding common magics.” Rayla grumbled something indistinct and he continued, “Since you have the home field advantage, I see nothing wrong with using what I _do_ know to _my_ advantage.” He popped a moonberry into his mouth and grinned. “Mmmm. I'm definitely developing a taste for these.”

Rayla stared in stony silence until he finished savoring his victory. “If you're quite done...”

Callum tossed the cube over to her, and she pushed her last five berries into the middle. “All in on sky.”

“All in on earth.” Callum pushed the small mountain of berries just slightly.

Rayla tossed the cube. It rolled for a moment, then landed with the sky rune towards Zym. “ _Ha-_ _ha_ _h!_ ” she cried, gathering the berries to her. She thought for a moment. “You” she said very seriously, though she didn't bother trying to hide her wicked grin “owe me a moonberry.”

Callum gave her a very skeptical look. “We picked the last bush clean!”

“That's not my problem. You're the one who counted his salamander-chicks before they hatched.” Rayla tucked the berries into a pouch at her waist, saving a small handful to eat immediately, and got up to start walking.

Gathering his things to follow suit, Callum tried wheedling. “It's just one berry, Rayla!” He got no response. “C'mon, I'd let this go if it was me!” He caught up to her, and she laughed and handed him a handful.

“I'm not about to let you starve over a friendly game,” she explained. “I mean, I'll hold this over you until the next time we play, but that's part of the fun of it.”

Callum rolled his eyes, but smiled, and they continued their walk in silence until they each finished their handful of berries.

“I have to admit, they are pretty tasty,” Callum said.

“The ones that grow in Katolis definitely aren't as good,” Rayla told him. “I think they need to be surrounded by magic to thrive.”

“Aren't they magic themselves?” Callum wanted to know.

Rayla shook her head. “Nope. Just weird little berries that prefer moonlight to sunlight.”

“Huh.”

They lapsed into another comfortable silence, breaking it only to laugh when Zym tripped over himself or when Rayla wanted to point out something magical or Callum had a question.

Finally, they decided to set up camp for the night.

“I can still taste the moonberries.” Callum made a face as he tried to probe around his teeth for leftover berries.

“Yeah, the taste does kinda stick around,” Rayla admitted. “I can probably find something else if you'd like.”

Callum shook his head with a grin. “Nope. I fully intend to win my dinner.”

“Oh?” Rayla raised an eyebrow. “Was getting thrashed once not enough?”

“You've been talking about magic all afternoon. I can predict it better now, and I'm going to prove it.” Callum plunked down on the ground.

“May I remind you that this is a game of luck?” Rayla asked, but sat a few paces away facing Callum.

Callum tossed the cube in the air a few times. “They say fortune favors the bold.”

“Famous last words.” Rayla parceled out the berries. “Prepare to taste defeat again, or rather, to taste nothing when you're defeated again.”

“Bring it on.” Callum pushed in three berries. “Three on moon.”

Rayla raised an eyebrow. “Five on earth.”

Callum rolled the cube almost directly to Rayla, and laughed when the moon rune lit up. Rayla rolled her eyes and picked up the cube for her turn.

* * *

 

Despite being down to his last five, Callum smiled. Rayla had been in this situation earlier, and she had won; he was confident he could do the same now.

“All in on sky.” Rayla grinned.

“All in on earth.” Callum pushed his berries into the middle.

Rayla got ready to roll the cube, but stopped short of throwing. “Callum, you remember that when it was down to this earlier, I was the one who had the roll, right?”

Callum nodded. “Why does that matter?”

“Because you gave me an idea earlier.” Rayla bowled the cube gently toward Callum, who went a bit pale.

The cube stopped rolling. No sides glowed. Rayla picked it up carefully to make sure the sky rune wasn't glowing, though why it would when it was facing the ground, she had no idea.

“Well, well...”

“You didn't win,” Rayla pointed out.

Raising an eyebrow, Callum retorted, “Neither did you.”

Rayla smirked. “You still owe me a moonberry from earlier.”

Callum made a strangled noise. “You said you wouldn't hold that over me!”

“It's just a game, Callum.” Rayla laughed. “The real prize is bragging rights.”

“In that case...” Callum scooted forward and took another moonberry out of the pile closer to Rayla.

“Give it back!” Rayla cried with a laugh, grabbing his hand.

Callum pulled his arm toward him, trying to jerk Rayla off balance. She pulled back and grabbed the berry out of his hand with her other, but her tug had set Callum off-balance, and he toppled over onto her. Both teens made strangled noises of surprise and tried to pick themselves up, only for Rayla's forehead to knock against Callum's.

“Gah!”

“Sorry!” Rayla didn't move, but stayed propped up on her elbows. Callum rubbed the spot where Rayla's head had collided with his. “Are you alright? I'm sorry, Callum.”

“Yeah, I'm okay.” Callum grinned sheepishly. “I should know better than to try and win tug-of-war against an assassin.”

Rayla giggled. “Yeah, you really should. Still...” She reached up with one hand to touch his forehead, bracing herself with her other arm so that she could get a better look. She didn't realize how close she was to him until he timidly piped up. “Uh, Rayla?”

“...Oh.” Rayla stared at him for a moment. He wasn't moving away. She inched just a bit closer, trying to ask with her eyes, since her words were stuck in her throat.

Callum understood clearly, as Rayla found out when he lowered his head to close the couple of inches between them. Rayla smiled just a bit and moved her hand from Callum's forehead to the side of his face, and sat up into the kiss. Callum was practically in her lap, but he didn't seem to mind terribly much, and she certainly didn't, either.

A playful yip from Zym started them both backward. He was nudging the smaller pile of moonberries around, chasing them as they scattered and rolled.

Both teens chuckled nervously. Rayla took her hand from Callum's cheek and rubbed the back of her neck. “Well...”

“...That was nice.” Callum sat back and smiled.

Rayla let out a relieved sigh and returned a shy smile. “Yeah, it was.”

“Seems like maybe... we both won?”

Rayla laughed. “I suppose that's the best way of looking at it.” She leaned forward to give him a quick peck, then sat back and grinned mischievously. “I think we've found a way to pay off your rollycubes debt.”

Callum blushed, as did Rayla when she realized just how it sounded, but she flushed even deeper when Callum responded teasingly, “Only if the same applies to you.” He sat back and started dividing the berries Zym wasn't eating into piles again with a satisfied grin.

Rayla smiled and grabbed the cube. “You're on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, I finally made it happen! Adorkable teens being adorkable together! Yay! 
> 
> For some reason, I imagine moonberries taste like cranberries mixed with kumquats. I have no idea why, but there you have it.
> 
> Also, how I imagine this game works is how Callum described it earlier, with the additional rule that if no sides glow, or if a side not guessed glows, the berries wagered are added to a “pot” in the middle, which the winner also takes, kinda like free parking money in Monopoly. Also, you can't guess runes that were guessed in the last round.


	5. The First Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla's first signs, to be exact. Set... call it 5 years in the future. Long enough that war has been averted (assuming things get sorted sooner rather than later), but short enough that tensions might still be high, especially between a certain General and a certain elf. Amaya has agreed to meet Rayla as Callum's fiancee, and Rayla just hopes she can impress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for Teens and up. Because implications.

Rayla poked her head into the study. “I need you to teach me how to sign.”

Callum looked up from the letter he was writing to Ezran. “To sign?”

Rayla nodded. “We're supposed to be meeting your aunt, and I want to show her... I want to show her I can make an effort.”

“Okay.” Callum stood and followed Rayla to their room, where they sat on the edge of the bed. “This is a full language. I can't teach you all of it in a day, or even a month.” He took one of Rayla's hands. “Some of it... I can teach you how I'd do it, but you won't be able to.” He smiled. “But I can teach you what you want to tell her, and if you can't sign it, I will for you.”

Rayla kissed him on the cheek. “That's all I ask.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, basics... how do you even sign hello?”

Callum put a hand to his forehead and moved it outward. “It's kinda like an informal salute. Go on, show me.” He watched Rayla mimic what he'd done. “Not so sharp, and I know you're going to be nervous, but your facial expression matters. You don't have to smile like it's me, but if you look angry or wary, she'll take it that way. There you go,” he said encouragingly as Rayla schooled her expression and performed the sign more or less the same way he had. He thought for a moment. “Your name has been in letters, but I should probably teach you how to spell it.”

He took Rayla's wrist and placed her palm on her chest, saying “My...” then took each of her hands and tucked her thumbs and third fingers in fingers in, straightening her first and second fingers. He tapped the straightened fingers of one hand over the other twice, making an X where her hands touched. “...Name...” He molded her fingers in a series of shapes, calling out each letter. “R... A... No, your thumb goes on the _side_ of your fist, love. If you tuck it in front, it's an S... Oh.” He stopped.

“My name does not have an O in it, Callum,” Rayla reminded him.

“No, not the letter. Oh, like... unfortunate. I didn't think we'd run into this quite so early.” He placed her upturned right hand over his own.

Rayla sighed. “I need a pinkie for my own name?!”

Callum scratched his head, then took Rayla's hand and tucked her first and second fingers down, and straightened her thumb and third fingers outward. “I don't _think_ this is anything rude.” He showed her with his own hand how he'd make a Y, with his thumb and pinky extended outward, and the rest of his fingers tucked down.

“It'll have to do.” At Rayla's worried look, he cupped her cheek with a hand. “Don't worry. I'll be there. My aunt is strict, but she knows how much I love you.” He leaned in for a kiss. “Okay, now, how do you think you do an L?”

Rayla held up her first finger with her thumb out. “If it's not this, I'll be upset.”

“Good thing it is, then. And you remember how to make an A.”

Rayla poked her tongue out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she balled her hand into a fist, then remembered to put her thumb out on the side of her fingers. She ran through her name again, slowly, but correctly enough, and then the whole phrase. “Okay... I think I can do that. Next... I hope we can be friends.”

“Ah.” Callum nodded. “First thing you should know is that talking about time is a little weird...”

* * *

 

Callum found Rayla practicing later on.

“Ugh, I know I'm going to wind up screwing it up and insulting your aunt!”

“You'll be fine; I taught you how to sign that you made a mistake.”

“Yeah, but I can't even really do that properly. No pinkies, remember?” Rayla wiggled her fingers at him.

Callum came over to Rayla, and laced his hands with hers. “My aunt doen't speak. That doesn't stop her,” He said gently. “We're going to be married, Rayla, and that means we're taking life on together. I will always be there to back you up, whether that means you know how to sign something or whether it means you can't. Although I still think my idea of putting one hand behind the other and sticking out your last finger as a pinkie was a clever idea.”

Rayla rolled her eyes, but laughed quietly. “You always have an idea, don't you?” she asked, pulling Callum's hands around her waist so she could clasp hers behind his neck.

Callum grinned lopsidedly. “Only most of the time.” He pulled Rayla in for a long kiss, and snaked a hand up her back to tangle in her hair, the other creeping lower than where Rayla had left it.

Rayla managed to pull back just long enough to murmur, “You certainly seem to have an idea right now,” before kissing Callum again. He chuckled and swept Rayla toward the bedroom without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, implications. This is pretty much as explicit as I get, though.  
> I have very basic ASL, so please excuse my mistakes. I also didn't go into how to sign "I hope we can be friends" because it was just going to be more of the same and it would probably get boring. I think the signs would be something like I WISH FUTURE WE FRIEND, but if anyone has a better way of signing it, I'm all ears, er, eyes, since you'll have to write it out here.  
> Also, I hope it was clear which fingers were being referred to when I was numbering them. Basically, thumbs aren't counted, pointers are the first, and so on. Just in case anyone's confused.


	6. Callum's Elf Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now in Xadia, Callum realizes he has to blend in. Naturally, an elf impression ensues. Following shortly on its heels, however, is a pretty awful realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General Audiences. A bit sad, though.

“This is a terrible idea, Callum,” Rayla complained.

“Trust me, it'll be fine.” Callum fiddled with the sticks he'd managed to hook behind his ears.

Rayla made a noise of disgust. “Anyone who says 'trust me'—” she made sure Callum could see her air quotes “—should not be trusted.”

“I don't sound like that, and you know it.” Callum pulled Rayla's cloak around his shoulders and put the hood up. “There. Can't even tell, can ye?” he asked, imitating Rayla's accent.

Rayla blinked for a moment, then covered her mouth with her hand. A few seconds later, she burst out laughing. “That is the worst impression of Moonshadow elves I've _ever_ heard. I mean, it's the only impression I've heard, but still...” She doubled over and slapped her knee.

“Wouldn't that also make it the best?” Callum asked testily. “Anyway, we all know how your human impression turned out. The only person you fooled was blind, and I'm still not sure he was fooled; I think he just didn't care.” He sighed. “I can keep quiet. All I need to do is look like an elf from a distance.”

“It'd better be from a distance,” Rayla realized, sobering quickly. “We can hide a lot of things, but unless you're prepared to chop off those pinkies of yours, we're going to find ourselves in a lot of trouble _very_ quickly. Unless I can steal some gloves, we've got a problem.”

Callum looked at his hands and winced. “At least nobody knows we're here. What?”

Rayla looked stricken. “Runaan... the others... I don't know if they made it out alive. If they did...” She absently rubbed her wrist.

Horrified, Callum started shedding his disguise. “Rayla, I didn't mean...”

“I know you didn't.” Rayla sat on the ground and took a few deep breaths. “I'm not mad at you for bringing it up. I should have thought about it earlier, but there was a lot going on. And the worst part—what I'm most scared of—is that if any of them made it back, they'll send someone after Ezran again when he's returned, and it _won't stop_.”

Callum sank to the ground where he stood. “They _can't_.”

Rayla walked over and sat down next to him. “But they will. Even if we get Zym back, they might—” she choked and began to cry. “I should have tried harder to get Runaan to stop, but I had to get you out of there.”

As Rayla had done for him, Callum put his arms around her. She shifted to bury her head in his shoulder, despite trying her best not to sob. “This means... this means we just have to... have to keep going,” he said, his own throat tight. “We have to get Zym back to his mother as soon as possible.” He looked over at the little dragon, who was watching them curiously. “And we have to show elves and humans that this is how it should be between us.”

“What, hugging and sobbing on the ground?” Rayla knew the joke was weak, but she wasn't going to find the strength to get up and keep going if she didn't get her mind out of the duck-rabbit hole she was going down.

Callum let out half a chuckle. “Well, it's a start, isn't it?” He stood and held out his hands to Rayla to pull her up. She took them and got to her feet as well before starting to gather her things up.

After a few minutes, Rayla said quietly. “Thanks, Callum. For being the one to say we have to keep going, but also... for the comfort.”

“I'm glad I could.” Callum smiled gently, making Rayla's heart do a bit of a flip-flop. “You've already done the same for me.”

All Rayla could do was make an affirmative noise as they started on their way again. She'd have to tell him about her feelings eventually, but for now, she decided, returning Zym was more important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No huge moment in this one. Heck, Callum still doesn't appear to notice Rayla's feelings, not that she's made them super visible.


	7. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stopping for the evening, Rayla finally dares to ask Callum what he's drawing. The answer might lead to more than either of them bargained for. Takes place... season 3-ish?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences.
> 
> Also makes reference to Tinker Elf as Rayla's uncle, because apparently that's become headcanon for me.

Evening was only just starting, but it was pouring too much to really continue walking. The second time Rayla stepped in a puddle up to her ankles, she'd declared it was time to find shelter, possibly louder than strictly necessary. She'd spotted a cave nearby and had made her way there faster than Callum had ever seen her move.

As she'd built a fire, Callum had propped himself up against a cave wall and started sketching. He'd shed his jacket, scarf, and gloves and laid them out nearby, and Rayla had done the same with the light armor she was wearing, as well as her sopping boots. Zym stayed near the mouth of the cave, chittering at the rain and sticking his tongue out to catch drops.

“D'you always make faces when you draw?” Rayla teased, stretching her feet out toward the fire.

“Only when you're watching,” Callum said absently, not looking up.

Rayla laughed. “Whatcha sketchin', anyway?”

Callum blinked. “Ummmm...”

“Come on...” Rayla started crawling over. “Show me!”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Callum let the sketchbook fall into his lap. Rayla took it and looked at it curiously.

“It's a good likeness; no surprise there,” she said carefully, “but I'm just curious _why_ you're drawin' my hands and feet.” She flipped the page back. “And horns.”

“I-I'm used to drawing humans,” Callum explained. “I... felt bad. I noticed that... drawing you doesn't come naturally. I can draw my own hand, or Ez's or my dad's, without thinking about it, but yours...”

“You've also been drawing your family for ten years,” Rayla pointed out. She splayed out a hand, comparing it to one of Callum's sketches, and then handed his sketchbook back. “You could've just told me. I'm perfectly happy to model.”

Callum shrugged. “I prefer drawing people when they're just doing normal things.”

“Ah.” Pulling her knees to her chest, Rayla admitted, “You'd think I'd know more about this art stuff after having spent a month with you, but I guess I didn't really ask.” She rested her head on her knees. “My uncle's a jewler. He engraves magic into amulets and stuff. It's fascinating to watch him work.” She pulled a small pendant on a thin chain out from under her shirt. It was fairly simple, but Rayla's name was etched into it, and there were eight miniature moon phases, going from new to full and back.

“That's beautiful.” Callum leaned closer. “Hold it like that.” He started sketching.

Rayla did as she was bid. “Thought you said you didn't like models.”

“It's not modeling if it's an inanimate object,” Callum pointed out.

“You're sketching my hand with it,” countered Rayla.

Callum stopped and looked up. “It looks better that way.” He took Rayla's slightly cupped hand and flattened it out. “See how that changes the light? It makes the engraving less visible.” He re-shaped her hand back to where he wanted it.

“Mm- _hmm_...” Rayla continued holding her hand out in silence for several more minutes. As Callum finished up the sketch, she tucked her necklace back in finally mustered up the courage to ask, “So, whose hand was I holding in that sketch? It looked human.”

“Iiiiiiiiiiiii... hadn't thought about it,” Callum answered, barely managing not to drag his pencil directly though his drawing.

Rayla tried to give him a disbelieving look, but it came out more disappointed than anything.

Callum sighed. “Okay, I've thought about it. A lot. More than I should have, probably. But there's a lot going on with getting Zym back, and after that, I have to make sure Ez is safe, and who knows if any of this will actually fix anything? It's not that I don't like you; it's just that there's a lot going on.”

“I get it.” Rayla's voice was flat. She looked miserable.

“Rayla, I'm sorry...” What else could he say?

“I know.” A waver was creeping into her voice. “I'll be okay in the morning. But for now, please, just leave me alone.” She went over to the other side of the fire and lay with her back to him. He couldn't hear her over the fire, but her shoulders shook, and it was clear how painful this was.

Callum slumped back against the cave wall, feeling like he'd had the breath knocked out of him. Why did the right thing have to hurt so much? He'd never felt more alone, more in need of someone to turn to than he did now, and the one person he was traveling with, the one person he wanted to turn to now that they'd developed trust, he had just pushed away.

He lay down after mulling the same few thoughts over for far too long. Sleep was a long way off, but for now, he would at least try to rest.

* * *

They packed the next morning in silence. Rayla was easily managing to keep her expression neutral, while Callum knew he was failing to keep his the same.

_This is what I asked for..._

He grabbed his sketchbook, only for it to fall open to the sketch of their hands intertwined. His breath caught and his chest tightened. This wasn't fair at all, not to either of them, but to try and reverse course on what he said last night didn't seem like it was likely to end well right now, either.

After a moment's thought, he grabbed his pencil and scribbled _**when this is all done**_ underneath the small drawing. Another moment passed, and then underneath that, he scrawled _**I promise**_ before shutting the book and joining Rayla at the mouth of the cave.

“Ready?” she asked. If he didn't know, he would just think this was the old Rayla, who didn't really know him and had no real interest in doing so beyond getting Zym back to Xadia.

Only just managing to hold back a sigh, Callum replied, “Yeah, let's go."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh dangit, I just want them to hold hands, but these danged stories keep going places that don't allow for that to really work!
> 
> Hopefully the next one is fluffy. Maybe a “years in the future” follow-up to this? Where they are holding hands? C'mon brain, I know we can do this!


	8. Loud Mage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set five-ish years after “Hands” (Chapter 7). A slowly growing peace has been achieved after Zym is returned. Rayla is an ambassador spending some time in Katolis, owing to her relationship with Ezran. An unexpected message brings memories flooding back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences. This is going to be cliché and sappy. Like, _really_. You have been warned.

“Good day, ambassador.”

“Good day, majesty.” Rayla bowed before returning Ezran's wink. He'd slid a moonberry jelly tart in among the papers she was to review that evening. Rayla personally thought the berries were fine without any sort of pastry, but Ezran had insisted, and she was not about to turn down a snack after barely having eaten all day.

She retreated to the guest chambers that Ezran retained, ostensibly for Xadian ambassadors, though Rayla was the only one who preferred staying at the castle. The rest of them stayed at a more highly fortified (and separate) embassy building, even though Rayla had pointed out that hallway diplomacy was just as important as throne room diplomacy.

 _Their loss,_ she thought, flopping unceremoniously back onto a small sofa and taking a bite of the jelly tart, which oozed more than she'd expected. She squeaked quietly and sat up, barely getting her free hand under the glob of jelly that had escaped before it hit her skirt. Moonberry juice was such a pain to get out.

“Your reflexes are still intact, I see.” Soren appeared in her doorway and leaned against the frame.

Rayla cursed herself for forgetting to shut the door. “I'd've thought you had that figured out by now, the number of times I've thrashed you.” They were both teasing, but the old tension still lingered. Rayla had never quite forgiven him for the zipline incident, and Soren knew it.

“Speaking of—” Soren casually examined his sword. “I came to ask if you wanted a spar.”

“Maybe later,” Rayla offered. “Fighting while hungry is never a good idea, and I'm starving.” As though to prove her point, she sucked the glob of moonberry jelly from her hand, not really caring if Soren thought her boorish for it.

Soren nodded and replied, “Fair enough. You know where to find me.”

Unable to resist temptation, Rayla called after him, “Yeah, that seems to be your problem!” Soren laughed back, and she took it as a good sign. She got up to close the door, and detoured back to her desk. Someone had left a note.

The paper looked old, and somehow familiar. She unfolded it and brought a hand up to her mouth.

It was a slightly faded sketch of her hand and a human hand, fingers interlaced comfortably. Underneath it, there were two phrases:

_**when this is all done** _

_**I promise** _

“ _Callum_...”

* * *

Their journey after that night in the cave had been tinged with so much regret. Even when they'd gotten back to Katolis, Corvus of all people had been bold enough to remark that they really needed to stop sneaking looks at each other already. All Ezran had been able to do was agree. Since then, Callum had been studying magic with various scholars under the direction of the Dragon Queen, who had reluctantly agreed that if humans were going to learn magic, she would permit it but would want to monitor it.

His studies had been interrupted by Viren attempting to stage a coup, backed by Aaravos, who Rayla had heard of only as a legend. Thankfully, sky dragons had a long memory, and the Dragon Queen had been able to assist in the defeat of that terrible duo.

He hadn't seen Rayla much since then. He'd mostly stayed in Xadia to complete his studies, and Rayla had her duties as ambassador to keep her busy. The few times they'd met, she'd been guarded, and he'd felt too guilty to try and draw out a conversation any longer than was necessary. The last time had been a few months ago. Ezran had cut in smoothly and averted the mounting tension, and had proceeded to later tell Callum that the next time they were in the same room, they'd better have it figured out. Callum didn't think Rayla had been on the receiving end of such a speech, but Rayla wasn't a Katolian subject, so Callum supposed Ezran probably felt more comfortable giving such an order to the one of them that was.

Well, now that he'd finished his studies, he was going to be back full-time, and that would mean seeing Rayla. He'd been flipping back through his old sketchbook on the journey back, only to stumble across that drawing. It had pierced him a bit more sharply than he'd expected, but the thought of making good on it made him feel inexplicably lighter. Well, actually, he could absolutely explain it, he'd admitted to himself.

After telling Ezran to come find him when he was done, he'd placed the drawing on Rayla's desk while he knew she and Ezran were meeting, and had gone to find somewhere to wait. Now, he sat out in the courtyard, watching palace life pass him by and doing everything he could to keep his breathing steady.

“Callum!” Ezran walked up and gave him a hug. “Oh, _don't_ ,” he half-whined when Callum bowed.

Callum grinned. “Force of habit. The Dragon Queen is a bit more of a stickler for the formalities than you are.”

Ezran sighed. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Um...” _I really need to get better about planning._ “I just... um, wanted to know what's for dinner.”

Ezran gave him a skeptical look and waited.

“Just let me have this, Ez,” Callum begged.

Ezran rolled his eyes and answered, “Roast chicken and root vegetables. And moonberry tarts, if Rayla says they're any good.”

 _Aha, an in._ “Well, I'd better go get her opinion for you, then.”

“Uh- _huh_...” Ezran said, unable to resist cracking a small grin.

“Ez...”

“Just go.” Ezran waved Callum away. “I don't want to hear from you until dinner. I'm just going to assume that if I don't hear any complaints, they're good.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Callum called over his shoulder as he jogged off to go find Rayla.

* * *

Rayla wasn't sure how long she'd been standing rooted to the spot when the soft knock on her door brought her back around. She dropped the piece of paper, smoothed her skirt, strode to the door, and opened it to find a very wide-eyed Callum standing there.

For a moment, neither of them did anything, but then Rayla flung her arms around Callum's neck and hugged him tightly. “You're really here,” she breathed.

Callum smiled. “Yeah, I am.” He put his arms around Rayla's waist and held her close for a moment.

Rayla was the first to pull back just a bit, and she grabbed his hand to tug him into her room and shut the door behind her. They walked over to a sofa and sat, not releasing the hold they had on each other's hands.

There was silence for a moment, then Callum started in. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of it the way I did, and I wanted to take it all back that next day—” He was cut off by Rayla putting a hand over his mouth.

“ _Callum_.” Rayla sighed. “I thought a loud mage was bad, but a loud _arch_ mage...” She smiled hesitantly at him, but it fell away a bit when she continued, “I understand why. But that's all I've had for these last few years, and that's no basis for finding out what there is between us.”

Callum was quiet for a few seconds. He felt shattered again. “So what is?”

“Wanting it,” was Rayla's simple answer. “And as stupid as I'm sure I should feel for not letting go of that all this time, I haven't.”

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Callum put his head in his free hand and chuckled. “I've made this far too complicated for far too long.”

“Well, that's mages for you,” Rayla joked, causing Callum to start laughing in earnest. He stood and pulled Rayla into another embrace.

“I've missed you,” he whispered. He took a breath to say more, but Rayla was quicker, pulling back and kissing him rather soundly.

When she finally pulled back, she murmured, “Well, I guess I'll have to accept 'loud mage' as part of your charm, but at least it gives me an excuse.”

The mischievous look Callum gave her made her knees go only a little weak. “What if I want to tell you all the things I like about you?”

“...Then I suppose I've got two very good options, and I'm sure I can find a way to take both.” It had taken Rayla a moment to come up with a suitably witty response, but she knew she'd hit her mark when Callum's eyebrows lifted a bit in surprise and he pulled her in for another kiss.

Just as Callum was tugging Rayla even closer, Rayla's stomach chose to interrupt the moment by growling.

Rayla's cheeks were already a bit pink, but she flushed even further. “I haven't eaten much today,” she mumbled. “I was just sampling one of Ez's latest bakery commissions when I found...”

Callum laughed. “Well, I did tell him I'd get your opinion.”

“You did _not_.” Rayla looked mostly horrified with a hint of amusement. She went over to her desk and grabbed the pastry, then settled on the sofa she'd been on earlier.

“He didn't believe me,” Callum offered, not sure if that was supposed to be a good or a bad thing.

“That's definitely _worse_ ,” Rayla informed him through a mouthful.

Callum had the grace to look bashful. He came over and set next to Rayla, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Well, as long as I'm here, what _is_ your opinion?”

“It's a well-executed idea.”

“Spoken like a true diplomat,” Callum teased. “Except for the part where you have food in your mouth.”

Rayla rolled her eyes as she swallowed the bite. “It's not bad by any means. I just don't see why you need to add pastry to moonberries.”

“My brother likes jelly tarts, if you hadn't noticed,” Callum pointed out dryly.

Rayla didn't respond, too busy with finishing up the pastry. She brushed the crumbs from her skirt, then leaned against Callum and took his free hand with one of her own.

It was several minutes before Rayla spoke. “I'm glad you're here. I don't think I ever told you that.”

Callum grinned and tightened the arm around Rayla a bit. “I figured.” He sighed contentedly, looking at their intertwined hands. “I'm glad you're here, too.”

The bell signaling preparation for dinner echoed throughout the castle. Callum gave Rayla's shoulders one last squeeze before standing up. Rayla stood with him, unwilling to let go of his hand. They exchanged wordless tender smiles before setting off together, each feeling just a little more complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I should post these last two together so that at least there would be some payoff, though this one took a little longer to complete, mostly to bring this little two-story arc to a satisfactory (read: rom-com levels of fluffy) conclusion. This bit of it was supposed to be half the length it wound up being, but I just kept adding. Sorrynotsorry.
> 
> This was also the first one to really have any musical inspiration. Tracks included "Love Me" by Felix Cartal & LIGHTS, "Spring" by Park Bom, and "Over the Sky" by Dreamcatcher.


	9. Just A Bit of Confidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla laments the loss of her braid, mostly because the little bit of hair left is annoying. Takes place (say it with me, now) potentially early season 3-ish. Could also potentially be in Season 2, episode 7 after they stop for the night, before Callum plays rollycubes with Bait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences

Rayla tugged at the shorn bit of hair. It had grown a bit since it had been cut, but that was almost worse; now, it could actually get in her eyes, and it tickled her ear every time it brushed against it. Just as she was thinking it, a bit of it dropped from her grasp and did just that. She sighed.

“I don't think that'll make it grow faster,” Callum said from behind her.

Rayla rolled her eyes. “I know that. It's just... annoying. I _liked_ that braid.”

“It looked good,” Callum replied. Rayla twisted to stare at him and started to speak, so he hurriedly continued, “Not that it doesn't look good now. You look nice either way.” He shrank a little bit, and was clearly blushing.

“What I was _goin'_ to say—” Rayla felt her own cheeks warm. “—is that it just gets in my ear and feels weird and I don't like it.” She paused, and then added softly, “But thanks. Never hurts to hear nice things about yourself.”

“No kidding.” Callum came over to sit next to her. “My dad—King Harrow—and Ezran are really the only two people who have anything good to say about me on a regular basis. The rest of the time, I'm letting someone down. Mostly Soren, I guess, since he's supposed to teach me how to fight.” He sighed. “I have to be able to defend Ez, and right now, I can't do that. Not with a sword, and definitely not with magic.”

Rayla tossed one of her closed knives into the air and caught it. “Have you considered a career as a politician?”

Callum gave her a look. “I don't think I'd be any good.”

“Sure you would,” countered Rayla. “Convinced me to go on this crazy mission, didn't you?”

“Only after you saw the egg. That was Ezran.”

“Runaan saw the egg and he's not here.” Rayla bit her lip. “You also talked Soren and Claudia down when they first found us. You're capable of more than you give yourself credit for; you just need to be more confident.” She stood and stretched. “I'm off to try and get some sleep. G'night.”

“G'night.” Callum was reflecting on Rayla's words. _Very confident._ Claudia had said it. He'd believed it at the time, but between then and now, all he'd done was fail, first at convincing Soren and Claudia that they should join up with the rest of them, and then at figuring out sky magic. Rayla had no stake in lying about this, though, he reminded himself. If anything, she was one of the most encouraging people he knew right now.

Warmed by the realization, he pulled out the cube and started tossing it around, a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally just going to be Callum inadvertently and entirely awkwardly complimenting Rayla, but it just seemed like it needed to be longer, so I figured I'd have Rayla return the favor a little more gracefully.


	10. Any Excuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set early season 3. Callum's normally the sleep talker, but this time, it's Rayla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences.

Callum wasn't usually a light sleeper, but then, he thought groggily, Rayla didn't strike him as the sort of person to be yelling in her sleep. It seemed like an occupational problem for an assassin who might be gone multiple days and who needed to sneak up on people. He sat up and looked over at her.

“Callum...” She was tossing fitfully. “Breathe, Callum!”

_Breathe..._

He vaguely recalled hearing Rayla yelling his name and pleading with him during his dark-magic-induced fever dream. He reached out to grab Rayla's shoulder, the thought of her potentially waking up and going into defensive mode without thinking causing only a moment of hesitation. “Rayla, wake up. It's just a dream.”

Rayla sat bolt upright with a distressed gasp. Her eyes darted around, finally landed on Callum. “Are you alright?” she asked, sounding terrified that the answer would be anything other than yes.

“Me?” Callum made a show of patting himself down. “Yep, all in one piece. You're the one we should be worried about. Do you usually talk in your sleep?”

The question caught Rayla's attention and seemed to stop her panic, replacing it with confusion, and finally, embarrassment. “No, I don't.”

“Okay... Do you want to talk about it? It sounded like you were worried about me. Like you were taking care of me after I used dark magic.” He went from kneeling to sitting next to Rayla. “I think I heard you at one point. You were calling my name.”

“Was that all?” The words tumbled out of Rayla's mouth. Callum hadn't seemed to notice her alarmed look when he mentioned hearing her. Hopefully he'd brush off her rapid question as concern for him, rather than about what he might have heard.

“I think so. I just remember my name and you telling me to stay with you, and then I was talking with my mom...” Callum trailed off, lost in thought. “Yeah, that's all I remember.”

Rayla very nearly heaved a sigh of relief, but instead let out the breath she'd been holding in a long, thin stream.

“I didn't realize you were so worried,” Callum said quietly. “I'm okay, you know.”

Rayla sighed. “I know. It's just only been a couple days, so I guess it's still fresh.” She looked up at the slowly-lightening sky. It was nearing dawn. “I'm sorry for giving you a hard time for using dark magic. You thought I needed the help.”

Callum shot her a look. “You don't think you did?”

“Trained assassin, remember?” Rayla tossed one of her folded knives in the air. “And anyway, Claudia wanted to keep me alive.”

“Only as long as you would lead them to us,” Callum pointed out. “I was there to hear her say that. And if I'm being honest, I was more worried about the dragon needing help. Not that I wasn't worried about you, too, but you were a bit more capable of protecting yourself at the moment.”

“Oh.” Rayla was pleasantly surprised.

Callum pulled his knees to his chest. “I just... wanted to do what was right. And I know you told me it wasn't my fight, but we've been saying all along, we need to be a united front in this.” He reached out to grab Rayla's hand, and held their hands up. “ _This_ is what people need to see.”

Rayla's heart started trying to pound its way out of her chest, but she said as dryly as she could, “I think this looks a bit more like lovers than like people united for the common good.”

Callum blinked, and though the pre-dawn light was low, Rayla could swear he looked a little flushed. “Oh, uh...” He adjusted their grasp to more of a handshake. “Better?”

“Sure, why not.” If Callum was going to insist on holding her hand, she was at least going to allow herself to appreciate it a little.

After a few minutes' silence, Callum asked, “So what _else_ did you say while I was out?”

Rayla jerked her hand out of Callum's in surprise. “Ah, not much. Just apologized for being angry with you. I still don't like that you used dark magic, but I understand why.” She smiled a bit and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Your whole stop-the-cycle thing has really rubbed off on me.”

“...I'm glad.” Callum had been momentarily struck speechless when Rayla had adjusted her hair, and it had taken him a moment to remember what a normal response would be.

“Just don't scare me like that again, and we'll be even,” Rayla added quietly.

“I'll try not to,” Callum agreed.

The sun was starting to come up over the hills. Zym yawned and stretched, flapping his wings a bit for good measure. Rayla and Callum stood and stretched out, as well. They gathered their things in a mostly comfortable silence, but as they set off for the day, both of them were going over the conversation in their heads and wondering what was coming their way next.


	11. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set 10-ish years in the future. Callum and Rayla are married, and while all is well with them, some old wounds still haven't fully healed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has two parts. Up to you what order they actually occur in relation to each other, though personally, I think the second part is first in chronological order. I just wrote it second, so it became part 2. It truly doesn't matter.
> 
> Rated as suitable for Teens and up, solely because of language, and only one word at that.

**_PART 1_ **

_Everything was moving far too fast._

“ _Just do it!” Rayla screamed, her hand clasped over a deep cut on her other arm. Callum could still barely hear her over the roar of magic and war going on around them._

_Callum's own hand was coated in Rayla's blood, but he couldn't..._

“ _Don't worry about me; just do it!”_

“ _ **Blood of the warrior, find your attacker,”** Callum chanted in the dark magic language._

_Rayla's blood glowed and swirled and lifted, though the color still stained his hand. Callum followed the trail the magic left. It was far too short, and arced only over to the dagger in his other hand. Both Callum and Rayla stared at the weapon in horror._

“ _...Callum?”_

* * *

“Callum!”

Callum sat bolt upright.

“Hey, you're okay...” Rayla pulled him close with one arm, and gently caressed his cheek with the other. “It was just a dream. Callum, sweetheart, I'm right here. _I'm okay_.”

Callum sagged against Rayla, his eyes automatically going to the light scar on her arm. He hadn't given her the wound or done dark magic; he hadn't even been there. And that was what he felt so guilty about. He finally put his arms around Rayla and held her close. “I had the dream again,” he murmured miserably into her hair.

“I could tell,” she replied into his shoulder. “Your sleep talking is a blessing in disguise when this happens. Of course, the rest of the time, it's just entertaining. You still owe me a moon phoenix, by the way.”

Choking out a laugh at the joke, Callum loosened his grip on Rayla enough that they could lie back down. Rayla kept her forehead pressed to Callum's, and took his hand to position it over her heart. She rubbed his back lightly in circles. When Callum lifted a hand to cup her cheek after a moment, she covered it with her own and nuzzled into it sleepily.

“Sorry for waking you,” he said quietly after a moment, switching to stroking her hair.

“You only are when it's something that upsets you,” she pointed out. “I'm not angry at you, love. You can't control what you dream about, and neither can I. All I can do is remind you I'm here when you're awake, and I'm happy to do that. Like you do for me.” Rayla had nightmares less often than Callum, but they were no less upsetting to her than his were to him.

They lay there for a while, not really moving except for a gentle, affectionate caress every so often. Rayla eventually settled for resting one hand on Callum's heart. Her other laid over one of his, which rested on Rayla's neck and jaw, and Callum's other arm was wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. Rayla's breathing evened out after a while, though Callum knew she was still awake when he gently kissed first her forehead and then her lips only for her to smile at the first and respond just a bit to the second before mumbling something that sounded distinctly like “flirt”.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Rayla opened her mouth to reply, yawned, and then sighed, “I love you, too.”

Callum smiled and pulled Rayla closer, and eventually, drifted back off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

_**PART 2** _

“ _I need to see him!” Rayla was yelling at a human medic._

“ _You're hurt!” the medic protested, gesturing to the bandage on Rayla's shoulder, which was starting to turn red._

“ _I don't give a damn!” She barely noticed her shoulder, even though it had been throbbing like nothing she'd ever felt moments before. Why weren't they letting her see him?_

_She tore down the hall, crying Callum's name. When she got to the final door of the hall, she opened it, hands shaking._

_Callum lay on a cot, paler than the day he'd attempted dark magic. She wasn't sure he was breathing._

“ _Callum...”_

_His eyes fluttered but stayed closed, but she could just barely make out her name when he murmured it._

“ _Rayla...”_

* * *

“Rayla!”

Someone was holding her hands. She blinked, breathing hard. The first thing she saw in the early dawn light when she opened her eyes were Callum's staring back at her. She reached out to brush the back of one of her hands against his face. Callum lifted a hand to hers, and she realized she was crying.

“You're okay,” she croaked.

Callum nodded. “You had the nightmare again.”

Rayla wrapped her arms around Callum to pull him close, burying her face in his chest. They'd thankfully become practiced enough (in part thanks to nightmares, unfortunately) at it that her horns didn't even come close to hitting him. One of Callum's hands threaded through her hair, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on her scalp, while his other wrapped around her waist. Rayla's shivering slowly abated. When she finally looked back up to Callum, though, her eyes started watering again.

“This is stupid,” she choked out.

Callum smiled and kissed her forehead. “It means you care... not that I like seeing you upset,” he clarified.

Rayla wiped her eyes and managed a shaky smile. “W-we both know y-you know that already.” She took a breath, and continued more steadily, “And I know you don't want to see me upset. You don't have to tell me that.”

“You know me; always saying more than I really should.”

That actually got a laugh out of Rayla. “I think you say just enough.” She rested her forehead against Callum's. “I feel like I don't tell you how much I appreciate that often enough, though.”

“Believe me—” Callum gave Rayla a slow, sweet kiss. “—you let me know.”

Outside, a bird started chirping.

“Well, at least we're not missing out on too much sleep,” Rayla muttered. Despite her words, she turned her face into her pillow.

Callum turned in her grasp, raising his shoulder to block the rising sun. Rayla rested her forehead against the back of his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his chest. He laid his hands over hers and gave them a squeeze.

Rayla closed her eyes and let her mind drift to a conversation she and Callum had had last week. It wasn't a particularly exciting conversation; it had just been about childhood memories. They had laughed and made fun of themselves and each other, and each had come away from it completely content. That was what mattered.

The birds really started singing in earnest before long, and as they got up for the day, Rayla and Callum exchanged knowing smiles, silently expressing that they had each other, and that was all they needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is basically self-indulgent fluff. It's meant to show how they grow to reflect each other, which is why they're so similar. If you have a bit of deja vu after reading both, it's very much intentional.


	12. Out With It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set later in the day after “Any Excuse” (Chapter 10). Rayla is finding it harder and harder to keep in the last little bit of what she said before Callum woke from his fever dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences.

She'd been mulling over how to say it all day. The few times she'd been off on her own, Rayla had even mumbled variations to herself.

“Callum, I need to tell you something.”

She'd thought she was alone, so she was not expecting Callum to reply, “You do?”

Rayla squeaked in surprise and turned to face him, flushing to the roots of her hair.

“This isn't about Ez or my dad, is it?” Callum was trying to sound lighthearted, but Rayla knew it weighed on him.

“No, nothing about that!” she said quickly. “Just you. I...” She took a deep breath and tried to speak, but the words weren't coming out.

Callum looked concerned. “Sit. You look like you're about to pass out.” He came over and sat next to her.

Rayla tried again. “When you were sick, just before you woke up, you sounded like you were dying. And it was so scary. And I was trying to tell you... but you woke up before I could say it...” Not looking at Callum clearly wasn't helping, so she turned to face him. “I don't even know what I was going to say,” she admitted after a moment. “But whatever it was, it was... more than just friendship.”

Callum's jaw dropped slightly, and Rayla hurried along. “I know that it's been only a couple weeks and it's crazy and you don't feel the same way, but I can't get it out of my head.”

There was a tense silence. Callum blinked a couple times, looking very much like he had to get his head around what he'd just been told. The first thing that finally came out was “Wow.”

Rayla winced. It wasn't a promising start. _I should never have said anything..._

To her great surprise, Callum took one of her hands. “I don't know what it is either. But I think I might be starting to feel the same way.”

It was Rayla's turn to search for words, only to land on “Wow.” She tucked her hair back with the hand Callum wasn't holding, and let out a shaky laugh. “I'm glad I'm not the only one.” She leaned her head on Callum's shoulder. “It's just... there's a lot going on, and it seemed like you and Claudia...” She stopped and bit her lip. “Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up.”

Callum heaved a sigh. “I won't say it doesn't still hurt, or that I don't wish things had turned out differently, but that trust... it's not there anymore. You... I trust you. And I wouldn't change that.”

Rayla was both surprised and gratified when Callum hugged her this time around. “I was just gonna say, this feels like something we should hug over,” she murmured into Callum's shoulder, getting a laugh out of him.

They both started laughing in earnest when Zym tried to pop up between them, clearly wanting affection, himself. Rayla rubbed the baby dragon behind his ears while Callum gave the base of his tail a good scratch. They exchanged shy smiles over the top of Zym's head, glad that all had turned out well, and feeling hope that things could continue that way for at least a little while longer.


	13. Stars in Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Rayla do a bit of stargazing. Adorable moments ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on the fence with rating this one, but I'm gonna go with T for safety. It probably doesn't need it, but better safe than sorry.

The first time they'd decided to stargaze, it had been fairly normal—there had been lots of “Look at that!” and “Where?” followed up with “There” and then “I don't see it”, “It's right where I'm pointing”, and finally “...I think I missed it”.

The second time they'd decided to stargaze, they'd realized that they would need to get into each other's personal space a bit more if they were actually going to be able to point anything out effectively. There had been a lot of nervous giggling and blushing, and as the night wore on, hands that brushed against each other accidentally turned into fingers laced together on purpose.

The handholding bled into the days that followed. Eventually, so did an arm wrapped around the other's shoulders or waist.

The third time they decided to stargaze, they started out fairly intertwined. Even after they flopped back in the grass, Callum left his arm around Rayla's shoulders, and she held the hand that draped over them.

“So many moon moths!” Rayla complained.

“Can't you make them go away?” Callum wanted to know.

Rayla shook her head. “Don't think so. They're attracted to magic and prefer moon magic, and since the moon's new right now, I'm the strongest source they've got.” She waved away a passing moth, then excitedly pointed out a small section of sky. “I see a shooting star!” She kept on pointing. “Callum, are you even looking?”

“Yeah.”

Rayla turned her head to face him. “Not at _me_!” she whispered loudly, nudging his arm playfully with her shoulder. When he continued to stare at her, even looking a little serious, she started to grow concerned. “Callum? Why are you looking at me like that?”

She got her answer seconds later in the form of a very soft kiss. It was a little clumsy, but Rayla closed her eyes and leaned into it nonetheless. After a moment, however, both of their necks protested the unnatural angle, and they pulled back, resting their foreheads together instead. Rayla rolled fully onto her side, letting go of Callum's hand and instead draping her arm across his chest.

“Did you plan that before or after suggesting stargazing?” she wanted to know.

Callum blushed just a bit, but rolled onto his side to face her. “It was more like working up the courage,” he murmured.

“Well, I'm glad you did.” Rayla leaned in to kiss Callum first this time, tugging on his jacket to pull him closer. She let out just a bit of a gasp when Callum wound his free arm around her waist to do the same to her after a few seconds.

When they pulled apart after a few minutes, they were both breathing hard. Callum's hair was a bit disheveled, and Rayla's was only slightly less so, and both teens were more than a little flushed. Rayla sat up to finger-comb her hair, looking up at the stars again as she did so. With quiet awe, she said, “Looks like it's a full-on meteor shower tonight.”

“Mmhmm.”

Rayla looked over at him, only to find that his gaze was still very much on her. “Callum!” She tried to sound stern, but she was laughing. She scooted over behind him and pulled him up to lean back against her chest. She rested her arms on her knees, allowing her hands to drop neatly into Callum's. “There. Now you have to watch the stars—no, don't you dare!” she ordered playfully as Callum pretended to turn around.

“Alright, alright,” Callum laughed. He settled back against her, and admitted, “You're just... really beautiful.”

Rayla's heart did a backflip, and she could not keep the grin from her face. Feeling as bashfully content as Callum had sounded, she replied just loud enough for him to hear, “You're not so bad, yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum either talks too much or not enough in these little stories, apparently. I'd like to think after Claudia, he at least subconsciously decided not to say embarrassing things and just go for it.


	14. Falling With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While making their way back to Katolis after returning Zym, Callum and Rayla manage to find an abandoned pit trap the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences. Gets a bit dark, but no darker than the show, so I think that's okay.

“...Ez was always the one finding secret passages and stuff. He's always been more about going on adventures. I was always more about drawing them.” Callum explained. They'd been talking about their childhoods. As long as they stayed away from parents, Rayla seemed content.

“We were always encouraged to go exploring. It stopped being quite so fun when Runaan figured out my... distaste for water wasn't going away.” Rayla sighed. “ _Nothing encourages agility quite like fear_ ,” she quoted.

Callum winced. “At least it was safe?”

Rayla shook her head. “A raging river and pit traps filled with water aren't exactly what I'd call—” She was cut off by her own scream as the ground beneath them fell away, and then a gasp as they hit the bottom of the pit, knocking the breath out of her. For one hysteric moment, she had the urge to laugh at the passing thought that at least the bottom of the pit wasn't filled with water.

Callum had landed with a sharp cry, and he was breathing hard. Rayla picked herself up and crawled over to him. He was pale, and cradling his left arm with his right.

“Let me see,” Rayla said quietly. “Can you wiggle your fingers at all?”

Callum fluttered his fingers, unable to suppress a yelp at his last two. Rayla swallowed. They were broken, but at least it wasn't his wrist. She hoped, anyway. “Try moving your wrist.” Callum did, and seemed surprisingly pain-free. Rayla let out a sigh of relief. “At least that's not broken. Okay—” She tried to stand, but let out her own whimper of pain and collapsed back to sitting.

“What's wrong?” Callum seemed to momentarily forget his own pain.

“My ankle. I must have twisted it when we fell.” Rayla took a closer look. It wasn't swelling much and could support her weight if she absolutely needed it to, but the sooner they got out of the pit, the better.

For the first time, she looked up. The pit was about fifteen feet deep—enough that multiple people could be trapped and still have a hard time getting out, and enough that injured prisoners getting out wasn't terribly likely. There was a hook for rope at the top of the pit. She grabbed their half-spilled pack and rooted around in it. Finally, she found a rope, and tied one end in a loop.

“Callum, can you use your wind breath spell to help me get this up onto that hook? Then you'll climb out, and you'll have to pull me up.”

Callum nodded and performed the spell. Rayla managed to get the loop on the hook after only a few tries. He slowly climbed out of the pit after a few false starts, managing to nearly fall onto Rayla once. He had to rest for a few minutes before first hauling their pack out, then helping Rayla out. She tried walking for a bit, but her ankle was still too tender to walk on, and they ended up making camp for the night.

For a while, they were both quiet. They were exhausted and just glad to be out of the pit. Finally, Rayla spoke. “We need to splint your fingers, or at least bind them.”

Callum cast about on the ground, and grabbed a nearby section of branch, mutely offering it to Rayla. She pulled out a knife and cut it into four pieces. “And now, we need a binding.” She pointed at Callum's hand. “You should probably take that glove off, anyway. We can use that.”

Callum tried tugging the glove from his hand, but winced and shook his head. Still not really speaking, he held his hand out to Rayla, who sliced through it carefully, and then tied the splint off. Finally, she asked, “What's on your mind?”

“That pit wasn't meant to kill people; it was meant to hold them just long enough for reinforcements to arrive.” Callum was looking a little more pale again as he realized the implications. “It was to keep elves—or whatever fell in—for dark magic.” He swallowed and went on. “Or to study them.”

Rayla sat back, stunned.

“There's so much to fix.” Callum put his head in his good hand. “And we don't even know the half of it.”

“This was never going to be easy,” agreed Rayla. “But we have to believe we can, and we can't stop fighting for it.”

Callum took a deep breath, and sighed very slowly. “You're right.”

“'Course I am,” Rayla joked. “Walking, talking reality check. Well, talking, at any rate.” She smiled in relief that Callum at least found it worth an attempt at a chuckle.

“How is your ankle, anyway?” he asked after a moment.

Rayla made a show of rotating it slowly without giving away quite how painful it still was. “I'll be able to walk on it in the morning.” When Callum's look turned skeptical, she asked, “And what are you planning to do if I can't? You can't carry me and a pack.”

“I was planning on finding a branch sturdy enough to be a crutch,” Callum corrected, the gears clearly already turning in his mind.

“Oh.” Rayla was definitely chagrined. “I should have thought of that.”

Callum shrugged. “You're used to being capable.”

The simple assessment stopped all of Rayla's other thoughts. Callum's head seemed to be in the clouds a lot of the time, but he seemed to have a knack for piercing truths. At least this one made sense. “And we thought _I_ was the reality check,” she murmured, causing Callum to smile.

“We're in this together. We can check each other.”

“Hmm.” Rayla leaned back to rest her head on her interlaced hands, liking the idea. That was how they'd started this journey, after all. They were strongest when they worked together and used their skills in concert with each other, and they had to remember that even in their setbacks.

She looked over at Callum. He was sketching. She wasn't sure what, and she wasn't sure she needed to know. It was just easier to let him work through whatever he was thinking. Soon enough, Rayla was lost in thought, and only realized it when she caught Callum glancing at her. She blinked and waved, and returned the smile he gave her. It didn't really fix anything, but it made their shared misery just a little easier to bear, and for the moment, that was enough.


	15. Self-defense classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After hearing about the disaster that was Soren trying to teach Callum about swordfighting, Rayla decides to try going with something needing a bit less skill: the haphazard art of self-defense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated as suitable for General audiences.
> 
> Set... early season-3-ish. Yep, that vagueness again.

Rayla stretched, then grabbed her knives and went through a series of motions. It was something she tried to do every day if she could. Even if she wasn't going to be an assassin, she was going to be a protector, and she needed to keep in practice.

She hadn't noticed Callum was awake until she'd finished.

“Enjoying the performance?” she asked, half-teasing, half-annoyed that she hadn't noticed him.

Callum blushed just a bit. “I feel like I should... applaud or something? You make that look so easy.”

“Ten years of training—I _hope_ I make it look easy.” Rayla came over to sit next to Callum as they shared a quick breakfast of some fruit they'd scavenged, as well as some flatbread, the provenance of which Rayla had been _very_ vague about.

Callum had stuck his bread over the fire to allow it to toast. “Before... everything, Soren was supposed to teach me about swordfighting and stuff like that. I wasn't any good.”

Rayla snorted derisively. “I can't see him as a particularly effective teacher. What did he try to cover?”

Callum shrugged. “We never really got past swordfighting. We never even really got _into_ swordfighting. I just wasn't any good.”

“Well, there's your first problem,” Rayla said through a bite of bread. She swallowed. “First thing you should learn is that escape should be your first priority. You can't very well fight anyone if you're dead, and that goes double if you're not particularly good at it. Second lesson—” she paused for another bite “—don't try to use a weapon your opponent is much more skilled with than you are. You might not be able to use a sword, but if you didn't have time or supplies to use magic, you could, oh, kick hot mud into your opponent's face?” She smirked at the memory. “I guarantee you they will not be expecting that, and it's not easy to fight. Third lesson: keep your enemy as much of a distance as possible.” She thought for a moment. “I don't suppose you're any good with a bow?”

Callum shook his head. “I mean, I guess I've never tried.”

Rayla shrugged. “Find something and throw it, that's my advice.”

Callum took a few bites of toast while processing Rayla's wisdom before posing a question of his own. “And if I can't escape because I'm trying to protect someone?” He looked grave.

“I'll be there to help you protect Ez,” Rayla assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “He has a lot of people who love him and would do anything for him.”

“And if... if _you're_ in trouble?” Callum sounded even more upset.

Rayla blinked several time before responding. “Trust that I can get myself out of it. Where's this coming from?”

“You kicked mud in Soren's face, but he and Claudia would have had you if I hadn't shown up, and then when you were freeing the dragon...” Callum's increasingly miserable explanation trailed off.

Rayla suddenly found herself unable to look at him, and she snatched her hand from his shoulder like she'd been shocked. The answer was clear, and she'd given it before, but that didn't make it any easier or more pleasant to say. “Then you get yourself out of there. You and Ez or Zym or whoever. I know it's not an easy decision, but... if it needs to be made, then that's what I choose. Get out of there and get yourself safe, first.” She tried to smile as she looked back at him. “Though, if you want to bring reinforcements to help, or if you can just magic me an invincible shield, I can't say I'll complain.”

Callum let out something that sounded more like a cough than a laugh, but his good spirits seemed to be restored at least somewhat.

They finished their breakfast in silence, each contemplating what the other had said, and while each was cheered by the other's dedication, they also both had a feeling of dread that this was not the last time this conversation would be had, and that the next time it did happen, it might not be under quite so hypothetical circumstances. Callum could only hope that he'd have a better grasp on magic by that time, while Rayla's resolve was to get more people on their side. Strength in numbers did matter, after all.

By the time they were travelling again, they were chatting like normal, though they were giving each other a few more speculative glances than usual. _Nothing makes you evaluate your feelings for someone quite like imagining them in mortal peril,_ Rayla thought sardonically. She had caught Callum looking at her a few times, though, which cheered her a bit, but the unnerving thought that had crossed her mind that they'd probably have to talk about _that_ at some point, too, but that would have to wait. _One heart-to-heart conversation is enough for today._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should explain Callum's worries about Rayla. I was trying to in the text, but it got way clunky. So, it's not that he considers her incompetent or generally in need of rescuing. To the contrary, he knows very well that she is a far more capable physical fighter than he will ever be. So, in the event she's outclassed, there's nothing he can do. That's what worries him, especially after Harrow's death. (Even though I hold that Callum's relative lack of ability to do harm is what saved him--he wasn't fighting so the assassins didn't bother with him. I was also going to include this little tidbit, but again, it felt too much like hitting readers over the head with a clue-by-four, so I opted not to.)


End file.
